Botany to Zetland via Eastlakes
Ride 18 - Botany North to Central Station .. The Scenic Way
We kick this ride off at the Botany Bay boat ramp. While you could launch a tinny here, we’ve got a better plan: riding up to Zetland using the trails humans actually enjoy. We’re actively ignoring the fast, furious, and busy options that Google Maps tries to force on you.
First up, we tackle the pedestrian bridge over the busy Foreshore Drive, which drops you straight down into Sir Joseph Banks Park. We’ll talk more about this famously long, skinny park in a bit, but before we leave, make sure to check out the local wildlife. The geese are real enough, but you’ll have to settle for the life-sized statues of the gorillas and wild elephants—a quirky nod to the park’s history as a zoological garden. Photos of the trail
Cruising out of the park, we head down Wilson Street in Botany and pass the terrific Botanix Lifestyle Cafe. Keep an eye out directly opposite the cafe: this building was the set for the 2023 ABC documentary series Back In Time For The Corner Shop. Hosted by Annabel Crabb, the show followed the Ferrone family as they lived and worked in an authentic corner store, watching it transform through the eras from the 1850s all the way to the 1990s. It’s a great piece of local trivia.
Next up is the notoriously windy bridge crossing the freight railway line on Banksia Street. After a short, punchy climb, you pop out onto Wentworth Avenue. It’s all road riding for this stretch across Botany and Pagewood south, but the upside is that the heavy traffic mostly steers clear of this pocket.
Wentworth Avenue & Rosebery
Pagewood We join a shared cycleway on the edge of a busy Wentworth Avenue that ducks right under the Southern Cross freeway. While cruising this section, you will catch a glimpse of the water hazards at Eastlakes and The Lakes golf clubs. It’s also the perfect spot to dream about tackling the massive Greater Sydney Bike Trail, which you’re actually rolling on for this short stretch.
As we hit the Mascot & Eastlakes area, its time to show you the ride on a map so you can get your bearings.
You can check out Ride 18 over here on RideWithGPS and find it in the Eastern Suburbs Collection here.
Through Rosebery to Zetland After crossing Wentworth Avenue, we zag back along the edge of The Lakes golf course, using Sparks Street* to find and slip through a graffit clad tunnel straight under Gardiners Road.
*Now, if you’re in a tearing hurry, you can just turn at Hicks Road and beeline for Primrose Avenue in Rosebery. But that’s not our style. We much prefer to stick to the quieter pockets of Rosebery, utilizing a neat little park along Southern Cross Drive and weaving our way through some clever paths between the buildings.
Nearing Zetland, we hop onto Dalmeny Avenue and navigate through the slick new medium-density apartment blocks. The finish line for this leg is the terrific Gunyama Park Swimming Pool and Sports Field—a great spot to pull up and cool down. It has a really good Hydrotherapy pool. From here, Ride 9 takes over the baton.
Lets check out the Ride in 3D in this video. Remember we start at the north end of Botany Bay, the large less popular bay that gives Sydney its water character.
This story started and is still available as
Beat the Bus 1 BOTANY to CENTRAL STATION
30 mins by bike saving 15 minutes on the forever bus
Zetland Library and Station and a great pool
For paying subscribers, lets return to Sir Joseph Banks Park
